New book club forming in Canton

The Canton library on Pennsylvania Avenue is planning to revive an old tradition later this month. At 3:30 p.m. Aug. 16, the library will host an informal gathering to discuss the formation of a new Canton Book Club.

At the Aug. 16 informational meeting, participants will have the opportunity to meet other prospective book club members, discuss how they envision the book club, and pick the first book selection.

The new book club will be informal. All those who enjoy reading and sharing what they’ve read with others are invited to attend. Refreshments will be served.

At previous club meetings, someone would review a book, and participants would ask questions at the end. It was more of a presentation than a general discussion, said Keneitha Bryson, a current employee at the Canton Branch Library.

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Author to discuss local African American history

The Jackson County Public Library in downtown Sylva will host a reading and book signing with Victoria Casey McDonald, author of Just Over the Hill, at 7 p.m. Aug. 23.

The book is a collection of true stories about African Americans in Jackson County, which McDonald pieced together through newspaper articles and her own knowledge of the history of the county’s African American community. Just Over the Hill is published by Catch the Spirit of Appalachia, located in Sylva.

“For years, African Americans have had a hand in every aspect of Jackson County life and represented every profession,” McDonald said. “I want people to know that we as African Americans are Appalachian really as much as the whites are Appalachians.”

McDonald was a longtime educator in Jackson County before her retirement. An accomplished painter as well as a writer, she is president of the Jackson County Arts Council.

This program is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library.

Poetry series continues

Join City Lights Bookstore for an open-mic edition of the “Coffee with the Poet” series at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 16.

Attendees are encouraged to share their poetry or bring a favorite classic or contemporary poem and read it to the group. The “Coffee with the Poet” series meets at 10:30 a.m. every third Thursday of the month and is co-sponsored by the NetWest chapter of the North Carolina Writer’s Network.